Railroad track



April 11, 1939. `w, JONES 2,153,624

RAILROAD TRACK Filed March 2, 1958 wwf , War/w94, F. JONES.

Patented Apr. 1l, 1939 l UNITED STATES PATENToFFicE mman mon wanen r. Jones, Upper Dax-by, Pa. Application mmh 2, 193s, serial No. 193,426 s claims. (c1. 23a-1o) My invention relates to a new and useful railroad track and it relates more particularly to a track adapted for use in connection with the various kinds of toy mechanical and electric trains. V

My invention further relates to a railroad track of this character which both functionally and -in appearance is identical with standard commercial railroads thus giving the electric train m a. realistic appearance which is a feature of great value in its psychological implication on the persons amusing themselves with such a train.

My invention still further relates to' a railroad track which is extremely inexpensive to l5 produce, extremely easy to assemble, which can be formed in straight and curved sections as desired, and which, while affording a rm foundation, also aiords sufficient flexibility thus insuring against derailment, which, asall who have had experience in running electric toy trains know, is agreat disadvantage and sometimes is serious enough to detract greatly from the amusement value of the apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to so construct my novel track as to provide extensive rubber and air cushioning between the track and the-floor of the room in which the train is` to Vbe operated thus greatlyminimizing the sound and vibration attendant upon the operation ofsuch trains which ordinarily are a cause of great annoyance to people not participating in the train operation.

My invention still further relates to a railroad track the curved seotionslof which are adequately banked, thereby, not only simulating actual railroad construction, but also `insuring against derailment while the train is going over a curve.

My invention still further relates to a novel i0 effective and extremely simple means of joining adjacent track sections together in amanner which precludes longitudinal displacement, the rail assembly being firmly and yet resiliently engaged by the track thus precluding lateral 45 displacement.

My invention still further relates to a railroad track' the manufacture of which lends itself to easy adaptation or variation in order to accommodate various types of toy electric trains 50 such as are now or may later be'on the market.

In the accompanying drawing; Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of a. portion of a railroad track embodying my invention. ,Y

Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 oi' 5 5 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2 show ing the manner in which the rails are applied to the track.

Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. FiFig. 5 represents a section on line .5-5 of 5 Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 represents a View similar to Fig. 6 showing the manner in which the track engages a. 10

giaece of rail sectionwhich is mounted on a metal se. Referring to the drawingin which like reference characters indicate like parts, and more particularly to Fig. 2, IIJ designates the base of the 15 track which is in the nature of a mat formed bf rubber or other resilient, sound-deadening material and of sufficient thickness to constitute a supportl and aiiord effective cushioning. The base I0 is provided with the spaced lugs I2 which 20 are preferably of the same material as the base I and which may be suitably secured thereto or preferably molded integral therewith. The lugs I2, when viewed in top plan as in Fig. 1. extend from the inner and outer edges I4 and I6 towards 25 the center of the base I0 thus accurately simulating the appearance of the wooden ties to which the ordinary rails of commercial railroads vare usually secured by spikes or the like. The lugs I2 are provided with overhanging edges I8 which 30 engage corresponding anges 20 of the inner and outer rails 22 and 24. The rails 22 and 24 are interconnected to each other and to the center or third rail 26 by the metal pieces 28. The rails 22, 24 and 26 and the cross piece 28 are the con- 35 venti'ona type now on the market and are sold in sections varying in length from a few inches to a i'oot`or more, and, when a purchaser buys an electric train, he buys as many sections, straight or curved, as he desires for making a track for 40 the train. Heretofore, andin the absence of a track such as I have invented or as may have been attempted. the practice was 'to build a platform or to lay the rail sections when assembled I on the floor of the room either on the wood or on the rug. In either case the rail sections thus assembled did not present a steady support thus resulting in frequent and annoying derailment, and furthermore, when the rails were laid on a wooden floor, the rumbling of a train running over the iioor caused an extremely annoying disturbance. If, in order to steady the rails to avoid derailment, they -were nailed to the oor, it resulted in excessive damage, and to avoid this it has been customary to build a platform especially u,

for the rails long before Christmas or any occasion on which it is desired to use the train. The `building of such a platform was expensive and troublesome, and, while it was being built and during its use, it occupied space which was otherwise needed and furthermore it greatly detracted from the element of surprise since the children knew that they would getthe electric train when they noticed the preparation of the platform long 'before Christmas or other festive occasion. With my novel track I am enabled to assemble a train` instantaneously and in any desired location on the oor or on a rug and without the necessity of any special platform.

By making the base IU of the proper width, and by properly spacing the overhanging edges I8, I adapt my novel track to the standard ordinary rail sections as they are available on the market, and, in order to apply the rail sections to my track, it is merely necessary to grasp the opposite lugs I2 and deiiect them and the base substantially as shown in Fig. 3 and then drop the rail section on the base III so that, when-the tension is relieved, the track rebounds into po.

sition as shown in Fig. 2 in which the overhanging edges I8 engage the flanges 20 of the adjacent rails 22 and 24. This completely bviates the necessity of nailing, tacking or otherwise fastening the rails to the platform andjaords suiiicient tension and engagement to retain the A portions of the rails and whereby, where the' rails do rest on the bridge 3l, as at 32 in Fig. 7, there is a double thickness oi rubber under them thus reducing the noise and vibration more than it would be reduced if the rails2Il, 24 and 26 and their cross pieces 28 rested directly on the base I 0.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a curved sectionA and a straight section B, and, as will be seen from Fig. 2, the bridge 3|! is thicker at the point supporting the rail 24 than it is at the point supporting the rail 22, whereas, in Fig. 6 it will be seen that the bridge 30 is of a uniform thickness throughout. Since Fig. 2 is along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and is a cross section of the curved portion A it willbe seen that with the increased thickness under the rail 24, and with the thickness decreasing towards the point under the rail 22, the curved section A is banked or inwardly sloped in the manner in which commercial road tracks or motor highways are sloped along the curves to insure against derailment and facilitate turning. Fig. 6, which is on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1, is across section through the track B which is straight and needs no banking and therefore the bridge 30 is of uniform thickness along its entireextent. At the junctions of the sections A and, B I preferably reduce the width of the lugs I2 somewhat as at C and D and I utilize the 'U-sh'aped clamp 34 which engages the reduced lugs C and D and holds them together, it being understood that the rails on the sections A and B are provided with prongs and sockets which are the conventional means for connecting the rails together.

, The manufacturers of rails for toy trains supply switch sections bymeans of which the train can be made to across from one set of rails to another, and such switch sections, comprising the proper combination of rails 22, 24 and 2li, are usually mounted as a unit on a switch.

In. Fig. 8 I have illustrated the manner in which a switch section mounted on a metal base 26 can be laid upon and engaged by my novel track in which it will be seen that the overhanging edges Il of the lugs I2, instead of engaging the anges 20 of the inner and outer rails 22 -and 24, engage the edges 38 of the supporting plate I6 directly.

It will thus be seen that my novel track, formed in sections of suitable length and proper width, can be sold either as a part of toy train sets, or can be sold separately for use in connection with the millions of feet of track of rails now in use, and that my track, not only completely simulates the commercial railroad track construction thus making greater appeal by its more realistic appearance, but that it also affords a rm and resilient basel which can be instantaneously laid out or removed and which can be instantaneously engaged or disengaged from the rails. My novel track also affords a maximum degree of cushioning and sound-deadening by the suspension of the rails and their cross pieces between the bridges Stand by supporting the rails on the combined thickness of the base III and bridge 30. Furthermore, the engagement of the rails themselves directly by the overhanging edges I8 instead of engaging the c ross pieces 28 applies the 'support and resiliency directly to the rails thus insuring against slippage and at the same time permitting the rails to "give in the` manner prevailing in commercial railroad tracks which have been found to be the best means for permitting fast travel of long and heavy trains without danger of derailment. Also, the banking of the curved sections A by the tapering of the supporting bridges 30 further insures against derailment.

While itis conceivable that the sections A and B can be manufactured in other ways, I find it pi'eferable to mold such sections so that the base I0, the bridges 30, the lugs I2 representing the cross-ties and their overhanging edges I8 engaging the flanges 20 of the rails, are made in one piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'4 as new and d esire to secure by Letters Patent is:

`1. A base for a conventional toy train track section formed of rigidlyinterconnected rails,

comprising, a continuous resilient base, transverse resilient bridge members integral with and to support said track section out of contact with said base by direct contact of said bridge members with said rails, an'd lugs on the ends of said bridge members having inwardly overhanging portions adapted to engage the outer bottom flanges of said rails.

2.v A base for a conventional toy train track section formed fof rigidly interconnected rails, comprising, a continuous resilient base, transverse resilient bridge members iixedly positioned upon andraised above the upper face of said base andv adapted to support said track section out of contact with said base by direct contact of said bridge members with said rails, and lugs on the endsof said bridge members having inwardly overhanging portions adapted to engage the outer bottom flanges of said rails.

3. A base for a conventional toy train track section formed of rigidly interconnected rails, comprising, a, continuous resilient base, transverse resilient bridge members xedly positioned upon and-raised above the upper face of said base adapted to support saidv track section by direct contact of said bridge members with said rails and thickened portions on the ends of. said bridge members constituting abutments for the webs 'of the outer rails of said track section, there being horizontal recesses formed in said thickened portions at their junctions with'said bridge members for receiving and clamping the outer bottom flanges of said rails.

WATKIN F. JONES. 

